Springtime in Japan
by cappie
Summary: Springtime means a flutter of emotions--and this is true, even for the cold Sesshoumaru. A SK oneshot.


AN: I came up with this little one-shot while I was being driven down to visit a college and I was rather struck by all the beauty that surrounded me. I thought that I should do this beauty justice with a Kagome/Sesshoumaru one-shot! What could be more sweet and beautiful, hm?

Warning: None

Spoilers: None as far as I know…

Chapter's primary characters: Kagome, Sesshoumaru

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Springtime in Japan

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I came across her standing by that well.  I had often seen her there before, whenever I was in the area, but that was not often.  She, of course, never saw me. She often never noticed, but I liked it that way.  If she saw me, Inuyasha would smell my scent, and then all hell would break loose like it normally does.

It is not that I don't want the sword, or such things, believe me my goals have not changed.  I just grow tired of this continual struggle between me and my decrepit half-brother.  I can only be interested in this fight for so long or else I quickly grow tired of this interminable chase.

His companions, well, I cannot say much for them.  Although all weaklings, and humans, I suppose those of similar mind are naturally attracted to each other; a jaded youkai exterminator, a weakling monk, a mere child demon, and then, the weakest of them all, the girl.

I knew her name at one point, but it escapes me now.

Yet, of all those that my half-brother takes company with, it is she, the archer, which seems the most spirited. I have seen her in battle, and even though she is weak, as all humans are, she shows great spirit.

I have come to begrudgingly respect her.

But respect is all I can allow myself.  Respect is all she deserves. Nothing more, nothing less.

At least this was what I thought.

The day was a particularly lovely one, so much so that even_ I_ took notice of it. The sky was a superb blue, not hazy as oftentimes days are likely to become. But, no, the air was crisp and clear, if not only slightly chilly.  This was due in part to the light wind which blew into the sea.  The trees had sprouted out there new growth, perhaps two weeks ago, and so their branches had a soft green-yellow appearance to them, not the deep color of summer.

Rin and Jaken were left at the camp some five miles away in the safety of the hills.  I had risen early in the morning to go out on a walk, wishing to clear my head.  I did not know why, but I had awoken with a slight ache and I hoped that some exercise would do me well, especially without Jaken's squawks and Rin's high-pitched squeals about fields of _flowers._

Flowers are beautiful, yes, but it goes without saying that spring is a very noisy season, especially if one takes company in an eight-year old _human _girl who is prone to running off into great fields of the colorful plants. She insists on gathering bouquets of these plants which wilt by midday.

But, getting back to the girl.  I came across her while I was going on this walk, and she was standing besides the well leaning against the worn wooden edges, her bright blue eyes looking up into the foliage of the trees.

She hadn't noticed me yet, which I attribute to her poor hearing, she being a human.  I paused momentarily and took shelter behind a large maple to study her momentarily. I had not often had time to look at her, being that most times I saw her, she was standing behind the hanyou.  Whenever Inuyasha is around he demands ones full attention and if he does not get it, well then, he gets even more offended and the whole ordeal takes twice as long.

But she was standing by herself, this instance, and I could not sense Inuyasha or the rest of the group.  I found it strange that she should be alone.  Did not she know of demons?

Of course she knew of demons, I had thought stupidly, she had to deal with them every day.

The girl could fend for herself, particularly with the bow and arrows she continually lugged about with her.  Poor humans, the gods did not see them fit to give them such claws.

She seemed in a particularly good humor, smiling more than usual, for no reason particular. It appeared she was watching the birds. Why would that make anyone smile? They were just birds.

Upon closer inspection, I realized that her eyes were a very unique color.  Often times, such a deep shade of blue were only exhibited in youkai—but she was a human, and never, in all my years of traveling, had I seen one with such a color.

I decided to test her wits.  I moved towards her, away from the tree, and made my presence known.

It took her only a few seconds to realize that some thing was there and string her bow and arrow.  Still, she was slow, and if I had felt like it, she would have been dead already.  I smirked, but said nothing.

I was surprised how quickly she moved out of her defensive position, although she still held the weapon. She trusted me, it seemed; maybe trust was not the correct word, but she did not fear me.  This was unwise of her.

"Inuyasha isn't here," she announced, almost as though I cared. If I wanted to find the hanyou it would not have been that hard.  She seemed to have forgotten that I was a _youkai _and my senses were far superior to Inuyasha's.

I continued to move forward, but said nothing. I was enjoying watching her become more and more nervous. I could tell she was regretting the situation already.

"What do you want, Sesshoumaru?"  She called out, her fingertips curling about the edge of the well.  Did she actually plan to escape down that hole?  What was there down there but bones and perhaps mud?  I wanted to laugh, but did not.  I did not want to display any sort of emotion, I wanted to remain cold and impersonal, like the killing blade that I was.

Her eyes had gone wide then, giving her a scared sort of look that wasn't unpleasant.  For a human she was pretty, I supposed, if I ever gave thought to the human race—which, I might add, I do not.  I only happened to notice her in-particular because of her affiliation with my brother. I knew that if I hurt the girl in anyway, or such things, then this will make Inuyasha mad—which is one of my favorite pastimes.

I finally decided to speak, and questioned in a purposefully dangerous voice, "What makes you think I come here to see him?"

The girl's pink lips parted and I can see her white teeth beneath them.  This is rare, in city fashion the women the teeth darken with coal—I do not like this style myself, but she seems as though she comes from a financially stable house.  Where else can you explain the fine stitching in her revealing clothing, and the durability of the cloth?

I was somewhat startled to see that the girl was grinning ruefully at me—the last reaction I had expected.  Most human girls would already be begging for their life by now, but I could see that she does not regard me in the way most females do.

I was intrigued.

"I highly doubt that you would come to see me, Sesshoumaru-_sama."_

She added the last part as though it is a joke to her.  Did she not know that I _was the_ lord of the western lands? Did she not know that at this instant her life lay in the palm of my hands?

I decided to toy with the girl, to see how strong she really was.

I did not know why I was intrigued.  Perhaps it was the fine quality of the day and the pollen was getting to me. Truthfully, I could not say.  I have plenty of time to return to my quarters up in the mountains, and how long could this take, candidly?

I moved closer, and she, like a wise girl moved father away.  She is no longer standing by the well, and this seemed to distress her.  She glanced at it every now and again as she moved backwards towards a grove of trees which reside by a pleasant brook.  This Bone-Eaters well seemed to her like a life line, and the farther away she went, the more fragile she became.

I did not question the nature of the well. Perhaps there is a hidden meaning to it, something I am not yet aware of.

But it will come in good time.  Whatever the secret is, I will discover it.

A butterfly passed lazily by; its wings were white and speckled with grey dots.  I could feel the sun on the back of my neck and it only warmed me, but did not overheat.

The girl was positively running away then, though she refused to turn her back to me. This was wise.  She was preparing herself for a fight, although we knew which one of us would win.

It was a rule of war to never present your back to the enemy.

"What do you want?" she asked me again from the top of a small grassy mound.  Her bottom lip was trembling, and though her eyes are watery, they were filled with a strange mixture of resolve and will.

I am surprised the girl had lasted this far, and decide to bless her with a reply.

"To talk."

This remark seemed to have caught her completely off-guard and she blinked and a strange look came across her face.

"To talk…?" I heard her say. She seemed incredulous, but then again, I do not blame her.  I don't even know if I want to talk to her. What is there to say?

"Yes." I find myself replying, against my will so much so that I had to spit it out, as though it was doing my mouth damage by staying inside.

She has stopped walking now and is standing beside a tall poplar tree.  The leaves were waxy and light-colored and they cast a strange light upon her features, highlighting her lips and long eyelashes.

"About what?" she questioned. Her voice is hard now. She still does not believe me.

I try to think fast and find that there is really not a lot to say. I do not know the girl, truth be told. I only know her looks and her scent.  I surmise that she is from a rich family and I question her judgment for being Inuyasha's traveling companion.

But, I decided talking about her is as good as any subject I can conjure.  It is best to know ones enemy in any case.

"About you," I decided upon, moving up the grassy slope bit by bit.  She has yet to move, but she placed her hands upon her waist and raised her eyebrows.

"Oh? And what do you want to know?" Her tone is mocking and I found that I grind my teeth in annoyance.  I was beginning to regret this entire escapade and decided that I would leave soon.  She was not as amusing as I had hoped her to be—she was too level headed. I at least wanted some weakling sobbing for forgiveness, or praying not to die, or some such thing.

She practically refused to yield.  This irks me.  Before I leave, I have to make her succumb to me in some way.

I pin-point that as my goal, and take another step towards her.

"What is your name?" I ask in all earnest. I have heard it mentioned many times before, but it escapes me now.

I waited for her answer.

A large gust of wind blows, and I nearly miss her answer.  But I do not, and I remember that her name is—

"Kagome."

I found myself nodding, remembering those three syllables and berating myself on why I did not remember it.  This girl, Kagome, often comes to my mind it seems—not only for the fact that I respect her, but also there seem to be a great number of mysteries surrounding her as well.

This was the time to uncover some of these mysteries.

"And your last name?"  I questioned.

"Higurashi."

Higurashi is not a house I know of, but then again, I only know those extremely wealthy of the humans. I find that with those who are wealthy I can overlook their curse upon being born human.

"Why do you want to know this?"  She questioned, and I find that she is backing away again.

Damn.

I have a feeling Inuyasha will soon be arriving and I realize I have to work fast.  Her pretty eyes seem to be calling out to me for reasons I don't understand. I don't understand myself today…

"I am just curious." I reply, blinking back the sunlight of the startlingly bright day.

She did not seem to believe me and I can tell she is about to flee.  Perhaps this was the end to our little affair? I found myself rather disheartened.  It was enjoyable to do something new and different.  For this short amount of time there was no squealing Rin, yakking Jaken or brazen Inuyasha.  There was only me and her, out her amongst the wilds of a particularly lovely day.

But it has to come to an end, and I realized I have yet to truly unnerve her.  I chuckle silently to myself.  There is one tactic I have yet to try; which is the physical.

I would not hurt her, no, because if I did I would never be rid of Inuyasha.  No, I know of one method to strike a deep blow to a female—a method that has worked for me many times in the past.  I do not know why this physical action means so much to all women human and youkai alike, but for some reason it does.  I prey upon this weakness, and decide to leave 'Kagome' with what human's refer to as a "kiss".

We were then standing by that brook under the shade of a tree. I was but five meters away. She would not even know what happened to her…

"Sesshoumaru, why don't you—," 

But she does not finish her sentence. I would not allow it. I wanted to make my mark, and then leave.  This was the way I had it decided and I stick to my battle-plans.

We are up against the tree in an instant, and strangely I find that my arms have intertwined her small frame. My fingers feel her skin of her lower back—it is soft and smooth. She is more than a foot shorter than me and I can feel her trembling against my touch.  She expected to die under my hand.

Gently, I traced a finger down her jaw line, making sure not to draw blood. I remember her scent now, that of peach blossoms and lilacs with a mixture of sandalwood incense like the kind they have at temples.  If I do remember correctly, she might be a priestess.

I gaze down into her crushed velvet eyes and find that I am strangely mesmerized. I can tell you, this has never happened before—but I do not listen to the quickened pace of my heart and instead lower my head down and feel her soft lips against my own.

It is a dark moist pleasure I enter.  I have kissed many women in the past, but I surprise myself at my own passion when it comes to this one girl.  I can feel her struggling beneath my touch and this only encourages me.  I want to make sure that this girl remembers just who is in charge.  I am Sesshoumaru, the lord of the western lands, and I bow down to no one.

I find that my eyes closed almost on their own will, and I snap them open.  I find myself lost in her scent and the movements of her body and the texture of her mouth.  I have never liked to be lost—and this is the only time I ever found pleasure in such an action.

At length, her struggling stops, and she begins to respond to my touch.

I have to stop myself.

I pulled away quite quickly, slamming her against the tree which we had been standing by. I need to go. I can smell Inuyasha's scent on the wing, and he is the last person I wished to run into—particularly with this blue-eyed girl practically unconscious in my arms.

I glance down at her and find that she is very flushed. I feel rather warm myself, but attribute this to the physical activity.

I say nothing more, and she only watches me, a strange look upon her face; one I can't read.  Her blue eyes remained written in my mind.

My feet move, and in an instance I can feel the wind swooping about me as I quickly jump off into the overhead trees above.  I do not look back at Kagome, nor do I plan to until I am very far away.

I stop some two minutes later. I am at a hill that overlooks the valley and I can still see Kagome's figure still standing beneath the shade of that tree.  She moves towards the stream and settles herself down beside it.  She peers into the water and apparently did not like what she sees and slaps its surface bitterly.

Five minutes later, Inuyasha returns and they walk away together.

If I had known then what that kiss would have done to me then I would never have attempted the action to begin with.  If I had known how her blue eyes haunted my dreams, or if my lips would sometimes tingle when I thought of her—if I had known, well then, I would never have attempted to set out in the countryside, especially when it was springtime in Japan. 

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AN: Does this seem…a little OOC for everyone's characters? It's alright. I don't particularly mind. I like stumbling away from the seriousness of Shadows, every once in a while.  And, oh, I am having issues with that story in any case, so, it was nice to get back into 'Inuyasha' mode, considering all the Harry Potter writing I have been doing as of late.

So, just remember that this *is* a ONESHOT going on here. If this story idea has ever been done before, well then, I'm sorry! Please, don't yell @ me! ;_; I don't read much fanfiction anymore, which is very sad, so I don't know what has/hasn't been done before!

T-T

So, as usual, read, review, say "Sojuu"! ^-^

If you have any questions, e-mail me at cappiepost@yahoo.com

And, come and visit my website @ 


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